Project Phases
Operational Excellence @ Illinois efforts began in May 2021 and is structured to occur in five phases. Each phase focuses on thoughtful implementation, rather than speeding through the process.
Phase 1: Imagine (completed)
This phase included data collection and analysis—spanning both institutional data and discussions with university faculty, staff and senior leaders. Based on this information, teams from administrative areas identified a list of opportunities to increase the effectiveness of services at Illinois.
Phase 2: Decide
(completed)
This phase supported Illinois in deciding which changes to implement. The phase concluded with university leadership’s decision to press forward with the recommended operating model.
Phase 3: Bridge (completed)
This phase prioritized and finalized opportunities developed by work teams, created a roadmap for subsequent phases and charged the Strategic Project Management Office with overseeing the next steps.
Phase 4: Detailed Design (active)
This phase focused on the specifics of the new operating model within select administrative areas. Throughout this effort, teams evaluated needs, defined corresponding roles and responsibilities and determined resources required for implementation.
Phase 5: Implementation
(active)
The university community will begin addressing identified opportunities from the earlier phases and/or begin the process of building out the new operating model. The transition will take detailed planning and support, occurring across all seven administrative areas.